Cole Ragans dominates Angels on Tuesday. Here's why it matters for 2026 season

Jaylon Thompson, The Orange County Register on Sep 24, 2025

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans took another step in his return from a left rotator cuff strain that sidelined him for a significant portion of the season.

Ragans made another start against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night. And it was a standout performance.

The left-handed starter looked sharp once again. He recorded 10 strikeouts in five innings despite allowing two earned runs.

Ragans struck out Angels star Mike Trout to begin the game. He later struck out the side in the second frame. The Angels didn’t get a runner to third base until the fifth inning, when Bryce Teodosio belted his first career home run.

Teodosio lined a 93.5 mph fastball over the left-field wall. The two-run homer cut into the Royals’ three-run lead, but KC held on to win 8-4 on Tuesday night.

The Royals improved to 79-78. However, the club was eliminated from the playoffs after the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers.

KC has five games remaining this week. Each matchup is important as the Royals look to finish with a winning record for the second consecutive year.

A quick start

The Royals gave Ragans a two-run lead in the first inning. Maikel Garcia led off the game with a double and Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a single.

Both runners advanced as Garcia scored on a wild pitch. From there, Royals captain Salvador Perez added an RBI single. It was a key sequence as Perez surpassed Royals Hall of Famer Hal McRae for second all-time on the franchise RBIs list.

Ragans kept the lead intact. He tossed 44 of 72 pitches for strikes while registering 34 swings and 17 whiffs on the night.

The fastball was the primary pitch. He pounded the strike zone with the heater while mixing in his changeup, cutter, knuckle-curve and slider, per Baseball Savant. Ragans sat around 95 mph and was efficient in navigating the Angels’ lineup.

The Royals penciled Ragans in for around 70-75 pitches. He will likely get one more start in the regular-season finale against the Athletics on Sunday.

A productive finish

In the late innings, the Royals’ offense came alive. Adam Frazier led the way with a two-run double in the seventh.

The Royals added three more runs an inning later. Garcia hit an RBI single and Witt drove him and Carter Jensen home with a two-run double.

KC finished with 15 hits. Now, the Royals need to win three of their last five games to have a winning record this season.

What’s next: The Royals continue their three-game series with the Angels on Wednesday night. KC right-hander Stephen Kolek (5-6, 3.54 ERA) will start opposite Los Angeles left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (6-11, 4.05). First pitch is set for 8:38 p.m. Central.

_______